I haven't made a trip to St. Louis in the last decade without at least one stop at Crown Candy Kitchen. Many ice cream parlors fake an old-fashioned atmosphere, but here it is the genuine article. Sitting in one of those ancient white booths is a real treat, although they are a little tight for a big guy like me.

My first half dozen trips have been all about the ice cream, with a thick chocolate malt being the usual order. But the last few visits have included branching out into their sandwiches menu. They make a fine egg salad, but are best known for what they call the "heart-stopping" BLT. Even though all I ate was a 1/4 of this monster, it still felt like I needed a nap afterwards!